With the debates now done, Liberal party members can start casting advance ballots today to select their next leader a little under two weeks from now.

They can cast their ranked ballot choices by mail or in some instances by phone, and each electoral district counts for 100 points in the race.

Former central bank governor Mark Carney, former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, former government House leader Karina Gould and Montreal businessman Frank Baylis all made their pitches to Liberal voters in the only two debates of the race on Monday and Tuesday.

Carney is widely perceived to be the front-runner in the race by far.

He鈥檚 leading in endorsements, polling, fundraising 鈥� and he鈥檚 the main target of attacks by the Conservative party.

But the point-based voting system doesn鈥檛 guarantee he鈥檒l walk away with it when Liberals select Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 successor on March 9.

The state of the Canadian economy and U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 trade threats topped the agenda for Tuesday鈥檚 debate, the second in as many days and the last of the campaign.

Carney and Freeland clashed over the Liberal government鈥檚 record of economic management.

鈥淥ur economy was weak before we got to the point of these threats from President Trump,鈥� Carney said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we need big changes to how we鈥檙e managing this economy.鈥�

He said the economy has relied in recent years on a big boost to the labour force caused by a surge in immigration, along with government spending that grew at a rapid clip.

Freeland argued that Canada is in a 鈥渟trong fiscal position鈥� and that Liberals should deliver solid economic and social policy at the same time.

鈥淲e need to be really careful not to repeat Conservative talking points,鈥� she said. 鈥淐anada most definitely is not broken. We are a strong, resilient country.鈥�

Freeland said she would improve productivity by improving interprovincial trade, recognizing the foreign credentials of professionals who are already here, cutting red tape to get large projects built, and protecting rural farmers 鈥� including supply management.

The candidates drew sharper contrasts with each other than they did in Monday鈥檚 French debate, though they stopped short of launching outright attacks.

Baylis positioned himself as the only candidate who understands business and politics, saying he鈥檒l bring 鈥渇iscal discipline to Ottawa鈥� by increasing productivity.

Gould said increasing productivity over a short period would not help balance the books.

She said that as the country faces a time of great economic stress, Ottawa should be there to support Canadians, just 鈥渓ike the federal government was during the pandemic.鈥�

The candidates were each pressed to explain how they would react if Trump moves ahead with sweeping tariffs against Canada next week.

Carney said he would quickly gather the premiers together and hit back with dollar-for-dollar tariffs designed to have minimal impacts in Canada.

He said the United States is already showing signs of feeling the economic pain of Trump鈥檚 policies and that Canada 鈥渨ill amplify that.鈥�

Freeland said she would immediately take aim at Trump鈥檚 best friends and hit them with a wave of targeted counter-tariffs that would cause an immediate stock market reaction.

鈥淥ur retaliation will be a lot smarter than their dumb tariffs,鈥� she said, alluding to a Wall Street Journal editorial that called Trump鈥檚 tariff strategy 鈥淭he Dumbest Trade War in History.鈥�

She said lobby groups such as the American Farm Bureau would quickly complain to Trump about the Canadian products they need becoming too expensive.

鈥淭hat reaction, that pain, will cause Trump, ultimately, to back down 鈥� just like he did last time,鈥� Freeland said, citing her past involvement in dealing with the first Trump White House鈥檚 tariffs.

Baylis said Canada should 鈥渃ompletely鈥� support the industries Trump targets and not let him take Canadian jobs away. He said he would quickly meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to rally a co-ordinated response to Trump.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not going to stop until he gets the lesson that he can鈥檛 get away with this,鈥� Baylis said.

Gould pledged transparency in her approach, vowing to call together the premiers and share her plan with the entire country 鈥渂ecause Canadians deserve to know.鈥�